Jerzul wrote:What do these traits actually do? I find their descriptions woefully unhelpful. Thanks in advance!
Agreed. It appears the difference is one will "not hesitate" to proclaim ML, the other will apply it with "extreme severity." So it appears to be a matter of degree but it isn't explained. I seem to recall some threads inquiring whether the abilities work at all, but maybe that was resolved in one of the patches.
From the AACW wiki:
Abilities
Hated Occupier
• This leader will apply Martial Law with extreme severity in any rebellious city he has to pacify.
Occupier
• This leader will not hesitate to proclaim Martial Law in any rebellious city he has to administer.
While the following does not address your question directly, it does explain what the application of Martial Law does on a state level, so I assume the same holds at the city level if the abiliities are working and the leader is in the region with the city.
From the loyalties screen
Martial law applied
This policy ensures loyalty doesn’t fall below 30%. The downside being that it also limits loyalty to a maximum of 70%. In addition, controlled objectives in the state produce negative VP’s as long as this policy is in effect.
Note: Remember, the policy is applied at the state level, meaning that each region in the given state will experience the same policy. Carefully weigh your decision!